Window-display.



Z. T. MERRILL.

WINDOW DISPLAY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16. 1917.

1,266,297. Patented May14,1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT. @FFIQE.

ZACHARA T. MERRILL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WINDOW-DISPLAY.

Application filed July 1c, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ZACI-IARA T. MERRILL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Window-Displays, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple device for attractingthe notice of the public to window displays and to goods on sale withina store by the movement of a flag or the like. The flag or the like ispreferablycaused to indicate or spell out brief sentences by dots anddashes of the socalled Morse alphabet.

In other words the flag is automatically moved toward the right and leftand to the vertical to indicate the termination of a letter word orsentence. The dots and dashes when understood or properly interpretedmay, for example, be read as follows: Come in and see, For sale, etc.,the first sentence Comein and see, being indicated as follows:

no. on a. -Q -II In a u the dots being indicated by movements to theleft and the dashes indicated by move ments to the right, or vice versa,when the flag is retained in the vertical position between one or moreside movements to inclicate a letter, the flag being held in the vertical position a greater length of time to indicate the close of a wordand a sentence. Thus it will be understood that one familiar with theMorse alphabet will naturally be enabled by the movement of the flag toin terpret the sentences that are being spelled out, while the movementof the flag will also attract attention of many others who may be unableto interpret such movements as spelling out sentences.

As a means of operating the flag I preferably employ a small electricmotor which may be driven either by a small battery or by a dynamo,which dynamo may also be otherwise used for lighting or other purposes.

My inventionis further explained by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a front view of a person holdinga flag in a vertical position.

Fig. 2 indicates a side view of a person Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented May 14., 1918.

Serial No.,l80,764.

holding a flag in a vertical position, partly broken away to show theinterior meeha nism.

Fig. 3 shows the mechanism by which the flag and stafi are throwntowardthe left.

Fig. 4 shows the device by which the flag and staff are thrown towardthe right while the motor and endless belt driven thereby are movedcontinuously in the same direct1on.

Fig. 5 shows a portion of the endless belt with a series of projectionsthereon, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Like parts are identified by the same reference numerals throughout theseveral views.

1 is an electric motor of ordinary construction.' The requiredelectrical energy is led to the motor 1 from a storage battery or othersource of power through the conductor 2, and from thence back to thesource of power through the conductor 3. 1 is an endless belt which issupported at one end from shaft 5 and pulley 6, and at its opposite endfrom the pulley 7, which pulley 7 is; fixed on the shaft, 8, which isrevolubly supported in journal boxes 9, 9. The endless belt a isprovided with two series of projections 11 and 12. Said projections areadapted to operate the flag staff 1'1 by contacting with the lever 20,secured to the shaft 18, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and through theintermediate lever 13 mounted on said shaft 13, said lever 13 contactingwith the lever 20 also secured to the shaft 18, as shown in Figs. 2 and1, whereby said staff is inclined both toward the right and left, itbeing understood that when said projections 11 cont-act with said lever20 the upper end of said stafi is inclined to the left, reference beinghad to the observers left through the partial revolution of the shaft 18to which the staff is secured, as indicated in Fig. 3, and when thusinclined it is adapted to indicate the dots referred to, and when themovement of the endless belt is communicated to said flag staff throughthe pro jection 12, intermediate lever 13, arm 20 and shaft 18 the flagstaff is moved toward the right reference being made to the observersright, as indicated in Fig. 4. The fiag 15 used on said staff may be ofany kind or color, and may be attached to the upper end of the stafi' idin any convenient manner. I preferably employ a single endless beltwhich belt & is provided with two series of projections 11 and 12, asshown in Figs. 5 and 6, whereby when said projections 11 connects withthe lever 20, as shown in Fig. 3, said staff and flag are moved towardthe observers left and also whereby when said series of projections 12contact with the intermediate lever 18, the upper end of said stafi ismoved toward the observers right, as shown in Fig. a, while saidprojections are located at longer and shorter distances apart toindicate the end of a letter, word or sentence.

Said flag staff H is connected with the spiral spring 17 through theshaft 18 and arm 19, whereby said shaft ll, together with its flag, willhe brought to the vertical position indicated in Figs. 1 and 2,instantaneously as soon as it has been thrown toward the right or leftby the action of any one of said projections.

It will, of course, be understood that the lower end of said spiralspring 17 is connected at a fixed point, such as shaft 8, whereby saidflag stafi 1% will be thrown to its normal or vertical position by therecoil of said spiral spring 1'? acting through said arm 19 and shaft18, the arm 19 being set at the proper angle. on the shaft 18 to bringthe stall 1% to the Vertical position.

The shaft 8 isdriven by the motor 1 in the direction indicatedtbythe-arrows in Figs. 3 and st, through the gear 21 on said shaft and thepinion 22 of the motor. The projections 11 and'12 are reinovably securedto th belt or chain in any suitable mannenscrews being shown, thuspermitting said proj ections to be placed so as to produce any desiredword or combination of words.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. in a device of the described class, thecombination of a figure representing a person, a staff a flag connectedwith said staff, saidstalf being connected with the hands of the figurerepresented, an electric motor, and a spring means for connnunicating anoscillatory movement from said motor to said flag staff, whereby thelatter will be caused to oscillate toward the right and left, saidspring being adapted to stop said shaft as it reaches the vertical.

2. In a device of the described class, the combination of a figurerepresenting a person, a revoluble shaft extending at right anglesthrough such figure and terminating in close proximity to the hands ofsuch figure, a flag staff connected with such shaft, means forcommunicatingmotion in opposite directions to said revoluble shaft andfrom thence to said flag staff, and aspring adapted by its downward pullon said shaft to move and retain said staff at the vertical, as thelatter reaches the end of its movement in opposite directions.

3. In a device of the described class, the combination ofan electricmotor, an endless belt, two series of projections connected with saidendless belt, a staff, said flag staff being connected through arevoluble shaft with an extension adapted to contact with saidprojections, and spiral spring connected with said staff, and adapted byits down ward pull to bring said staff to the vertical.

In testimony whereof I ailiximy signature in the presence oftwowitnesses. I

ZAGHAEA r. 'ainnnnin ll itnesses O. C. l/VEBER, .las. '13. Enwrn.

topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe commissioner of Patents,

Washington, are.

